The Germans, under Nazi rule, began using starvation as a euthanasia technique for deformed and disabled children. Eventually they moved toward more "humane" methods, such as gassing and injections of phenol directly into the heart. It's only inevitable that at some point it will be considered more humane to provide a quick death by lethal injection when (so the logic will go) the victim is "going to die anyway."
Compared to the Vicious Murdering Judiciary of Florida, Saddam executed its undesirables relatively mercifully
The USA Courts are making Saddam look kinder and more merciful than they are, for a sure shot to the head would have been kinder to Terri Schiave, who had to suffer for 13 days, and even allowed the murderers to cradle her in their arms as she died, (those horrible hipocrites who fein love, yet wish death upon an innnocent one), while her own parents were not even allowed to be with her in her dying hours.